*Note* All the underlined words are active links!
I know many people love Rihanna and Eminem but sometimes musical artists do things that make me go.. “Are they crazy or just plain stupid? or both?”
As most people know Rihanna ended a relationship with Chris Brown which was abusive leading to Chris Brown being charged with two felonies 1. Making Criminal Threats 2. Felony Assault and then being released on $50,000 bail. The verdict on Chris Brown was he pleaded guilty to felony assault in exchange for an adjusted sentence that includes no jail time and the dropping of a ‘making criminal threats’ charge.
So in light of all this.. then Rihanna and Eminem come out with the music video “Love the Way You Lie.” Which if you watch it seems on the surface like a usual music video – until you really listen to and read the lyrics. Its talking about an abusive relationship which is something both Eminem and Rihanna have been in.
Still the lyrics of this video say something completely different – and advocate for a violent abusive relationship.
“Just gonna stand there, And watch me burn
But that’s alright, Because I like ,The way it hurts”
Rihanna – if your trying to not fall into blaming the victim or say that people liked to be abused – you just FAILED miserably.
“Now you’re getting fucking sick of looking at ’em
You swore you’ve never hit ’em, Never do nothing to hurt ’em.”
“Don’t you hear sincerity in my voice when I talk
Told you this is my fault , Look me in the eyeball
Next time I’m pissed, I’ll aim my fist
At the dry wall”
Eminem does a great job lyrically of painting the picture of the cycle of violence but what this song really does is glamorize abuse. Especially when the last lines of the song before returning to Rihanna’s chorus are ,
“I’m tired of the games
I just want her back,I know I’m a liar
If she ever tries to fucking leave again, I’m gonna tie her to the bed
And set the house on fire.”
Umm.. Eminem you remember that song you did called Stan ? Well that’s what could happen with this video if some abuser listens to “Love the way you lie,” and takes from the message in the lyrics and video – Wow – Eminem is all into abuse.
See the rest of the video here –Love the Way You Lie – if you haven’t checked it out already.
If they wanted to talk about abusive relationships why didn’t they do something that was more along the lines of Ludicris’s featuring Mary J. Blige’s “Runaway Away Love,” – which is a whole lot more positive and tells not just one story but multiple ones? It also tells the victim to get help! Which is what we really want our victims to do. Check that video out here – Runaway Love .
Sorry Rihanna and Eminem but your video and song was a epic FAIL for the relationship abuse and prevention community.
